## **FRIENDS OF BENSON LIBRARY** ## **CHARITABLE INCORPORATED ORGANISATION (CIO)** Registered Number **1176595** Address: Benson Library, Crown Square, Benson OX10 6SD ## **TRUSTEES** ## **Officers:** Frances Swann _Chair_ Mary Phillipson _Secretary_ Judith Pignon _Treasurer_ ## **Trustees:** John Murphy Patrick (‘Barry’) O’Connor Vivien Gardner Fiona Thomson-Tur Christopher Swann Lucy Browne Brendan Thorpe ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** The purpose of the Charity continues to be to advance the education of the public by the promotion of a public library service for the residents of Benson and surrounding villages. We meet these objects by raising funds to provide Oxford County Library Service with a subvention to maintain a library service in Benson, which also benefits residents in surrounding villages. There is considerable residential housebuilding in the area which has led to a significant population increase and increased demand for library services. We also recruit, assist in training of and organise a rota of volunteers to serve as assistants in the library. The Charity communicates with stakeholders and the general community by means of a website, by Mailchimp communications, posters and fliers in the library and village, and in the ‘Benson Bulletin’, the latter being a rich source of local news which is widely distributed in the village and surroundings. In 2024 all trustees and officers remain the same in their posts. We have a new library manager, Kirsty Shearer, after the retirement of Hilary Rust who had been library manager at Benson Library for 17 years. We had a retirement party at the library in December to thank Hilary for her wonderful service at the library, attended by many volunteers and OCLS staff. Oxfordshire County Council have completed long awaited works to the Benson Library car park providing a tarmac area for 7 cars and a disabled space. The cost of these much-needed improvements to the grassed area of the library were borne by Oxfordshire County Council. The CIO is currently awaiting an estimate of costs from Oxfordshire County Council for the addition of a storage shed for garden tools, a bike shed, a covered area for buggies, steps to the garden area and improvements to the overgrown area to the front of the property. This year the library has been well supported by its readers with a large increase in members due to the addition of new houses in Benson, and the Library Manager has hosted a number of events such as the Summer Reading Challenge culminating in the Medal Award Ceremony, a Carers Coffee Morning with local Carers Group, Rhyme Time for mothers and toddlers, Incredible Edibles gardening activity sessions, craft sessions, Lego sessions and Volunteers Get Together. We have continued to recruit volunteers to assist with the library service provision. We have directly provided funds for book purchases that were withdrawn by the Oxfordshire Library Service. In this way, the reading interests of the local users are directly reflected in book stock that doesn’t join our regular stock rotation with other libraries. We have drawn up a document on Governance of the COI including the roles of the Trustees and Financial Controls which we regularly update. The CIO also sees its role in the wider context of improving Benson Library’s environment. We work with local groups planting fruit and vegetables in the library garden, encouraging local families to enjoy resulting produce free and we are hoping to extend the garden into a further area of land which is currently overgrown. The CIO participated in the local school fete in the summer with a table of merchandise and information about the library to promote the role of the library in the school and village, and also in a Green Day together with St Helen’s church, to raise awareness of the environment and the effects of climate change. We have a large fundraising event planned for the autumn, our annual Quiz, with a Prize Draw which in the past has proven to be a good source of fundraising income. We had a successful cake sale in the Spring which raised funds for the library, and also raised awareness of the library in the village. We have recently ordered and received branded tea towels, which can be sold or given away to help promote the use of the library. Oxfordshire County Council provided Lego and Duplo sets for the library which has led to successful sessions in the library for children. We are planning an event to celebrate the 50[th] Anniversary of the opening of Benson Library which will most likely be in the late summer 2025 to coincide with the presentation of the Summer Reading Challenge Prizes. We are planning a fete in the grounds of the library together with the commissioning of a stone bench commemorating the 50[th] anniversary. We are planning 6 author talks in the Library during 2025 to promote reading and interest in local authors to members of the library and villagers. We have opened a High Interest Bank Account into which we have placed some funds in order to receive interest on our invested funds. We took part in the Benson Christmas Tree Festival at St Helen’s Church which was a highly successful event and provided much goodwill and local publicity for the library and the work of the CIO. ## **FINANCIAL POSITION** The opening balance in the current account was £36240.80 plus £60.57 cash. The closing balance was £29716.80 in the current account, £10,000 in a high interest account plus £60.57 cash. Signed on behalf of the trustees: Frances Swann Chair Mary Phillipson Secretary Accounts 01 Jan 2023- 31 Dee 2023 Item Income Expenditure (XT.S Salary (K.l.S ChildT¢D'5 toys et¢ foT library Note I 800 193.92 40 90 )uk Token% ReadiN¥ Challenge X￿￿S Dinner for LibrBrian & husbgnd 5?.2 bunds Siaftding Orikn l(Hl Club SODC Regi%tr8tiDn (Trf Lottery Trall5feT lo Savings AL*ouni Chariiy Bank MLrnbership Office Equipment Top Marks (Paul Kenn￿y) Web sil¢ retyairs Ilnv 202301261 Web Hosting& Domain Name Ilnv 581753 &5814691 ])c%i￿ 2 Priiit Banncr Ilnv 105931 Wine tor Auditor 348 Note 2 46.5 20 I￿00 12 180 74.39 66 17.98 Grants r.weline PC B¢n%on PC 250 4238 Events Cak¢ 8a1¢ 7¢tile Cake Sale incl £40 float Chn%tmas TT¢¥ fair IBen$on ¢huwhl Quiz Nighi tickel sales Quiz Night Rafflc & prizes incl 20.(K) flollt and prizes Sevcrn Trent (sponsor £100 first prize) QuiLNighi j￿rn5 Lle 10.00 Atsai Qui7. /£¢tl¢ Quiz Night BaT Cash iDcI 80.1)O float Qui7.Night Ilall Hir¢ LibrdriRn Leaving present 194.98 205.75 40 1340 100 25 100 80 284.99 274.99 I'utals 8304.05 Minus 14528.05 6)24 Change for 2023 #1£ 3118.00- 193.9212924.08 1)f the funds in th¢ bank a¢¢owi are in a 41e¢ial fund forchildren's IKMIk: bank balance 36240.80 + 60.57 cash and closiD o in 2023 Savin s Account wtth Charl Bank £l(rt)00 Total FOBL funds 29716.80 Cllrrellt slc + IOIMN) saviny alt + OOJ7 r*sh Notc l Toys ctc pllrCha￿d from AM￿On Not¢. 2 Pri￿ from l(K> club paid by ¥h¢quE not Cashed till 2023 b2lanee 29716.80 + 60.57 ¢4sh Minus tr4 tIIkn 7L.LO 2Ltr